Automated pneumatic door skin hammer

ABSTRACT

Pneumatic door skins tool that uses air power to bend an automobile door skin edge with little effort. The tool is fully adjustable and has manual controls to allow a person to complete the task in a minimum amount of time with a minimal amount of effort.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/430,110, filed Dec. 2, 20002 and U.S. Provisional Application No.60/345,364, filed Jan. 2, 2002. This application is a 371 of PCTapplication Ser. No. PCT/US02/41605, filed Dec. 23, 2002.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the collision industry, and more particularlyrelates to the method by which damaged automobile doors are repaired.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Presently, if an automobile has had damage to one of the doors, anapproved method of repair is to put an original equipment manufacturedsheet metal door shell on, in replacement of the damaged one. Thisinvolves removing the damaged door shell and replacing it with a newone. The shells are referred to as skins, in the collision industry. Thecurrent method of installing the new replacement is using a hand “dolly”(piece of metal that looks like a heel of a shoe) and a hand heldhammer. When attaching a door skin initially, the edge of the metalapproximately ⅜″–½″ to be attached, is already bent 90 degrees orperpendicular from the skin. The metal skin is affixed to the frame ofthe door by crimping the edge of the metal of the skin onto the doorframe by placing the dolly on front side of the door frame and hammeringthe edge of the skin an additional 90 degrees thereby crimping the metalflat on the back side so that it is affixed to the door frame. This is atime consuming operation and often causes damage to the door skin due totoo much hammering on the metal with too much force.

Therefore, the object of the invention is to use air power to power theinvention that will crimp the edge of the metal of the skin to thedoorframe.

Another object of the present invention is to crimp the edge of themetal skin using less time than current methods.

Another object of the present invention is to create less damage to thedoor skin, by controlling the force used while crimping the edge of themetal skin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a tool that willreplace the current manual method of affixing door skins, with anautomated method of affixing door skins. A tool that will create lessdamage to the door skin by using air to control the force applied to thedoor skin with the tool.

This is achieved, by connecting the invention to a pneumatic air hammer,that will provide the power to a metal hammer that in turn, hammers theedge of the metal door skin with a controlled force, while protectingthe front side of the door skin with molded rubber block.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present invention may be realized from aconsideration of the following detailed description, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a drawing of the invention and its parts when connected to anair hammer;

FIG. 2 is a drawing of the invention and its parts during the first stepof operation; and

FIG. 3 is a drawing of the invention and its parts during the final stepof operation.

The drawing figures are shown oriented 90° from the operating positionof the depicted apparatus; i.e., left is up and right is down or lower.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

An automated pneumatic door skin hammer is illustrated in FIGS. 1–3which will substantially speed up the process by which door skins arepresently attached to door frames.

Referring to FIG. 1 the system uses a generic air hammer 10 to provideforce by means of a down stroke to the striking hammer 14. The strikinghammer 14 has a pin 52 mounted thereon. The tubular sleeve 48 has anopening slot on one side allowing the pin 52 to ride in the sleeve 48unobstructed. The pin 52 keeps the hammer 14 from turning while underpower from the air hammer 10. The spring 50 propels the pin 52 upwardsand thereby the hammer 14 upwards after the air hammer 10 has completedits down stroke. The tubular sleeve is mounted on the end of sleeve arm47. Sleeve arm 47 is connected to upper connecting arm 42 by anattachment member (not shown).

The invention comprises an upper connecting arm 42 that has an attachingmeans to the air hammer 10 which in turn provides the force to drive thestriking hammer 14, to bend the metal door skin edge over the doorframe, while using the rubber block 16 as a cushioning material toprotect the front, or outer, face of the door skin. The rubber block 16is attached to a metal platform 44, which in turn is attached to a metalshaft 30. The shaft 30 is variably held in place by means of upperlocking, or latching, groove or recess 46, and lower, or latching,groove or recess 32. The shaft 30, rides in the body 28, and ispropelled up by a spring 26. The shaft 30 does not turn while in thebody 28, because of a channel in shaft 30, and a channel guide 36attached to the lower body head 34. The locking handle 20 has aprojection 21 for engaging the selected latching recess 46 or 32 whichis most effective in the steps needed to bend the edge of the metal doorskin over.

When operational, See FIG. 2, the first step is to release the lockinghandle 20, from its upper locking point 46, allowing spring 26, topropel shaft 30, upwards until shaft 30 locks into place determined bylower locking point 32.

The locking handle 20, has an attachment means to lower body head 34. Ithas a release and locking movement means using a swivel pin 18, and aspring 22. While locked into lower locking point 32, one has to pivotout the upper connecting arm 42 approximately 45 degrees from the pivotpoint 40. This allows the striking hammer 14, while under power, to hitthe door skin edge at a predetermined angle thereby bending the metaledge of the door skin over to that predetermined angle. The tool ispositioned so that the end of the striking hammer 14 and the block 16straddle the bent edge of the door skin (not shown).

The invention comprises an upper connecting arm 42 that has an attachingmeans to the air hammer 10 which in turn provides the force to drive thestriking hammer 14, to bend the metal door skin edge over the doorframe, while using the rubber block 16 as a cushioning material toprotect the front face of the door skin. The rubber block 16 has anattaching means to a metal platform 44, with an attaching means to ametal shaft 30. The shaft, 30 is held in place by means of upper lockingpoint 46, and lower locking point 32. The shaft 30, rides in the body28, and is propelled up by a spring 26, The shaft does not turn while inthe body 28,

The upper connecting arm 42 is connected to the lower connecting arm 38by means of a pivot point 40. The lower connecting arm 38 is attached tothe lower body head 34, as by welding. The lower body head 34 is hollowand is attached to the body 28, which comprises a metal tube to enclosespring 26. The tube is encased within a rubber hand grip 24.

Once the initial bending operation is completed, See FIG. 3, the shaft30 is forced downward and positioned into upper locking point 46. Theupper connecting arm 42 is repositioned so as to allow the strikinghammer 14 to strike the edge of the metal door skin flat against therubber block 16, thereby completing the step of crimping the edge of thedoor skin over the edge of the door.

Although there have been described herein above various specificarrangements of a pneumatic door skin hammer in accordance with theinvention for the purposes of illustrating the manner in which theinvention may be used to advantage, it will be appreciated that theinvention is not limited thereto. Accordingly, any and all modificationswhich may occur to 6 those skilled in the art should be consideredwithin the scope of the invention as defined herein.

1. Door skin hammer apparatus adapted for activation by a conventionalpneumatic door hammer comprising: a frame supporting an axially slidablestriking hammer having a head adapted to mate with an anvil equippedwith a resilient bed member; said anvil being mounted for axial movementwithin a hollow support member between spatially separated latchingmembers; means for selectively mounting the striking hammer in one oftwo operative positions as crimping of a vehicle door skin edgeprogresses from an angle of approximately 90° to the generally planarshape of the door skin to a finished fully-folded shape encasing thedoor edge; said anvil and said striking head being mountable on oppositesides of the vehicle door skin edge so as to fold said door skin edgeabout said door edge; the first position being established at a selectedangle between the approximately ninety-degree initial configuration ofthe door skin edge and 90° to the plane of the door skin; and the secondposition being established at an angle essentially perpendicular to theplane of the door for achieving complete crimping of the door skin tothe door frame.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said selected anglefor said first position is essentially 45°.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1wherein said frame comprises an upper body head for coupling to said airhammer and a hollow lower body head coupled to the upper body head by apair of mutually adjustable arms mounted in a configuration to maintainsaid anvil in alignment with said striking hammer.
 4. Door skin hammerapparatus adapted for activation by a conventional pneumatic door hammercomprising: a frame supporting an axially slidable striking hammerhaving a head adapted to mate with an anvil equipped with a resilientbed member; means for selectively mounting the striking hammer in one oftwo operative positions as crimping of a vehicle door skin edgeprogresses from an angle of approximately 90° to the generally planarshare of the door skin to a finished fully-folded shape encasing thedoor edge; said anvil and said striking head being mountable on oppositesides of the vehicle door skin edge so as to fold said door skin edgeabout said door edge; the first position being established at a selectedangle between the approximately ninety-degree initial configuration ofthe door skin edge and 90° to the plane of the door skin; and the secondposition being established at an angle essentially perpendicular to theplane of the door for achieving complete crimping of the door skin tothe door frame; wherein said frame comprises an upper body head forcoupling to said air hammer and a hollow lower body head coupled to theupper body head by a pair of mutually adjustable arms mounted in aconfiguration to maintain said anvil in alignment with said strikinghammer; and wherein said anvil is fixed on the end of a shaft which isslidable within said hollow lower body head between positions defined bya pair of latching recesses on said shaft.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4further comprising a hollow handle attached to said lower body head,said hollow handle containing biasing means for urging said shaft andanvil in the direction of said striking hammer.
 6. The apparatus ofclaim 5 wherein said shaft is provided with at least two spaced-apartlatching recesses for use in latching the anvil in a retracted positionor in an extended position relative to the handle.
 7. The apparatus ofclaim 6 further including a pivoted lever having an outer end forengaging one of the said recesses and a spring for biasing said leverinto engagement with said recesses.
 8. The apparatus of claim 7 furthercomprising a hand grip of resilient material encasing said handle. 9.The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said upper and lower arm extensions arecoupled together in a lockable joint to fix the upper body head andlower body head in a selected position for the striking hammer.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 9 wherein said lockable joint comprises an adjustablemounting mechanism.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein saidadjustable mounting mechanism includes a slot in an end of one of saidarms and a threaded fastener coupled through said slot to an adjacentend of the other one of said arms.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11 furtherincludes means adjacent to the striking hammer for maintaining theposition of the hammer against rotation.
 13. The apparatus of claim 12wherein said means incorporates a pin extending laterally from thestriking hammer and a tubular sleeve for receiving said pin, and furtherincluding a spring mounted in said tubular sleeve and bearing againstsaid pin to keep the striking hammer in contact with the pneumatichammer during a return stroke thereof.
 14. The apparatus of claim 5including means for preventing rotation of the shaft and anvil duringoperation comprising a channel in said shaft which is engaged by achannel guide attached to the lower body head.